🎬 Synopsis
The film, Happiness Is (2024) is a continuation of the story that began in ‘Happiness is a Four Letter Word’ (2016) and was followed by ‘Happiness Ever After’(2021). It is the third part of a South African film series. The protagonist, Princess, who is nearing forty years old, is a single mother and owns an art gallery. This story examines the complexities of friendships, love, motherhood and personal reinvention at such a critical age.
Princess had planned for smooth and reflective birthday but Tumi’s plan were different from her calmness. Tumi as an event planner full of fun decides to pull off an extravagant bash away for her birthday because she believes that silence on this day would be less than what Princess deserves during such iconic moments in life. At first, she resists but with time agrees with them they head to the villa in the countryside where they are joined by their partners and close friends.
As soon as everyone has assembled, unresolved tensions rise up again. The arrival of Leo—Princess’s ex-boyfriend with his much younger girlfriend sends her into emotional chaos. They share history and responsibility in co-parenting which further complicates things between them. Meanwhile Tumi hides growing tension in her relationship with Sabelo her partner among other secrets like unplanned pregnancy within their group and a romantic misunderstanding turns out into a full-blown conflict amongst them all.
The group is trapped indoors by a sudden storm and is forced to confront their emotional baggage. They are pushed to reckon with themselves and each other through honest conversations, humorous outbursts, a spa-day gone wrong, and even a food fight. Slowly Princess begins to let her guard down and consider the possibility of finding love again—with someone new.
The film ends on a note of cautious optimism. Princess realizes that happiness, while complicated and elusive, is still within reach—especially if she’s willing to take emotional risks—after the party ends and guests prepare to leave.
🧑🤝🧑 Cast & Crew
Main Cast:
Renate Stuurman as Princess: The heart of the story. Princess is strong-willed, introspective, and going through personal transformation while facing emotional vulnerability.
Gail Mabalane as Tumi Modise: Princess’s spirited best friend. Tumi is well-intentioned but her inclination to control things becomes increasingly problematic between them.
Richard Lukunku as Leo: Ex-partner of princess and co-parenting with her. Dealing with his own past demons and sobriety, Leo symbolises emotional honesty and regret at its worst.
Sivuyile Ngesi as Sabelo: Tumi’s long-suffering partner who feels emotionally neglected and misunderstood by everyone else all the time.
Phaphama Nqabeni as Nelly: A friend who surprises everyone with life-changing news that affects the group dynamic more than anyone anticipated was possible.
Supporting Cast
OC Ukeje, Anton David Jeftha, and Rosemary Zimu are significant characters in the film as friends, romantic interests, and comic relief.
Crew
Directors: Nthabiseng Mokoena and Naledi Ya Naledi bring a fresh, distinctly African lens to the visual storytelling of the movie. They also carefully balance melodrama with authenticity.
Writers: Duduzile Zamantungwa Mabaso and Thuso Sibisi weave themes of aging, forgiveness, and female friendship into the narrative.
Production
The film is produced by Blingola Media and distributed by Netflix. It has given global visibility to South African cinema.
🌟 IMDb Ratings & Reception
Happiness Is got mixed-to-lukewarm reviews from critics as well as the general audience. The IMDb score averages around 5.5 to 6.0 which means that although it has its following, its appeal is not universal.
Critics have often praised this film for its beautiful visuals, cast performance—especially Renate Stuurman’s and Gail Mabalane’s—and midlife rebirth/ mature relationships themes. However others feel that it is predictable story with emotionally shallow characters that leans too heavily on soap-opera-style twists
According to some user reviews, this view is shared by others. The movie’s mood, pacing and familiar characters were praised by some viewers, but others condemned the slow pace of the plot and its under-developed characters as well as repeated melodramatic arcs. The general feeling was that while it looked good and had touching moments, the film did not go any deeper emotionally or in terms of narrative.
🎭 Themes & Takeaways
- Turning 40 and Reclaiming Identity
The main topic revolves around turning 40, which is usually associated with either reinvention or crisis. Princess builds a successful life only to start questioning whether her happiness is real or just a fake act. This story details her emotional journey of rediscovery as well as her readiness to become vulnerable.
- Female Friendships
Much of the film’s tension stems from Princess and Tumi’s relationship. Though their love for each other is evident, there are cracks: competition, emotional projection and unspoken resentments. Their transformation from conflict to reconciliation was one of the most genuine parts of the whole movie.
- Love After Loss
Happiness Is is a film that portrays various characters who are disillusioned in their romantic lives due to divorce, death or faded passion. What the movie shows is that romantic love isn’t only meant for the young; it can be found again, adapted and reimagined at any time of life.
- Emotional Growth
The story presents both men and women as they cope with vulnerability, regret, and emotional expression. Moreover, characters such as Leo and Sabelo are offered space to exhibit insecurity and introspection which defy typical gender roles in romance movies.
- Escapism Through Setting
The cinematography highlights opulence, serenity as well as the natural world. These elements are not just good looking—they symbolize the yearning for escape, peace as well as respite from urban turmoil and inner chaos.
👍 Pros and 👎 Cons
Pros:
Strong performances especially by the lead female actors.
Visually stunning landscape shots and superb interior decoration.
Themes that adults can relate to on an emotional level.
Authentically portrays aspects of South African culture.
Cons:
Unoriginal plot becomes predictable in places.
Some characters lack development or act inconsistently.
Dialogue sounds too expositional and unrealistic at times.
Doesn’t have a deep enough story line or enough tension to achieve lasting impact.
Happiness Is is a delightful, but safe, movie. It is both a reflection and a celebration of the emotional progressions that occur with age especially for women in their late thirties/early forties. Although it heavily relies on familiar storylines and does not take risks artistically, its authentic acting performances and high production values make it an appealing choice for aficionados of romantic dramas and South African narratives.
It will not shock experienced viewers or critics; nevertheless, it will appeal to those who want to connect, find solace or relate to characters that resemble individuals they have met before even if sometimes this is not always true.
Recommendation:
Watch Happiness Is if you like stories about people, stunning images as well as tales revolving around personal development in later years. Skip it if you are looking for groundbreaking drama or suspenseful storytelling similar to thrillers.
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